Statement of purpose

University and College Accountability Network (U-CAN)

As educators, it is our responsibility to begin teaching students-and their families-even before they decide which college to attend.

Choosing to go to college is one of the most important decisions an individual will make in his or her lifetime. Selecting the college that best fits the student's intellectual, professional, and extracurricular interests; values and personality; and financial circumstances is crucial to his or her satisfaction and academic success.

More than ever, as tuition continues to grow, families are focused on getting the best value for their dollar. The first step is finding the right information to make the right college choice.

Focus groups with prospective students and parents over the past year, conversations with Congress, and calls from the U.S. Department of Education leave no doubt that there needs to be better information provided in a consumer-friendly format on colleges and universities.

To meet this challenge, the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities (NAICU) has developed U-CAN (the University and College Accountability Network), a free, consumer-informed college information Web site. For the first time, institutions of higher education have come together to develop and deliver key college information directly to consumers. With U-CAN, we will take an important step toward better educating consumers, and fostering student satisfaction and success.  U-CAN launched on September 26, 2007. (source)

return to reports